Two words that mean everything

(an ongoing account of how my wife and kids enrich and inspire my heart with all the wacky little things they do)

During the week I get up early everyday to exercise. I try to time my workout so that I'm finishing just as the kids are getting up. Joanna sleeps in for a few extra minutes, while I get to spend a few precious minutes alone with the kids. I really enjoy our mornings together, the kids are in a talkative and imaginative frame of mind and our conversations span many varied topics. We talk about their dreams, school, their fears and philosophies about life, I'm often delightfully mystified at some of the things that come out their strange little brains. As much as I enjoy this time, my all-time favorite moment of the day can be summed up in two words "Hi Papa".

We have a safety gate at the top of the stairs (which both kids can open if they want to). However, when the kids get up and they hear me downstairs, they stand at the top of the stairs and say (in a sing-song unison voice) "Hi Papa". This is my cue to continue a tradition that the kids and I have had for the last several years. I walk up the stairs, pick the boys up into my arms and carry them downstairs. As I slowly carry them down, I kiss each one on the head and tell them "This is the best part of my day". When we get down to the living room, I place them on the couch, give them their morning juice and sit down to eat my breakfast as we talk.

The boys are growing so fast that I know that one day soon I won't be able to carry both of them at the same time (I'll have to start making two trips). I also know that one day they will stop singing my name in the mornings and they'll just come down on their own. Although just the thought of this eventuality breaks my heart, something happened a few weeks ago that will live in my heart forever and sustain me through all the trials and frustrations of raising kids.

I was making my morning coffee when I heard the familiar phrase "Hi Papa". "Hi guys" I said as I bounded up the stairs to pick them up. As usual, I picked one boy up in each arm and made my way down the stairs. I kissed each of my sons and said "This is the best part of my day". Kaden nestled his head into my chest and said "Mine too."

I'll remember that as one of the happiest moments of my entire life.

A lovely bunch of coconuts

(Thank you to Joanna for the honor of being the first guest-blogger on Yogafrogspeaks. My posts will focus on the ongoing adventure that is our family)

      I live with 3 of the strangest, comical and most creative people you will ever meet, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are so many little things they do that make me laugh, or swell my heart with joy and pride. It’s not the big gestures of love that get me (although they do), it’s the little moments of pure psychedelic pandemonium that happen out of the blue that impact me the most.

An example:

      We were driving home the other day from meeting my newborn niece, Kaden decides we need to have a family game show in the car. He takes on the role of host, asks the questions and says “the first person to say ‘slap’, gets to answer”, he begins with simple math questions and moves to general movie knowledge. Joanna and I find ourselves screaming “SLAP” at the top of our lungs as we compete to win the game, we constantly accuse each other of cheating and force Kaden to make the judgment as to who looses and wins the point. How impassioned we become about this game is a little frightening…. SLAP…… Brody, not to be outdone by the older people, starts interjecting with stories about when he was a baby...

Some exposition:

      Brody has decided that when he was a baby, he went on many adventures and did many things that the rest of us were apparently oblivious to. Some of the things Brody has done when he was a baby include: going to Toronto, living in California, riding with Terry Fox who is really Santa Claus and landing on the roof of our house and his leg turning into a deer… the adventures go on and on.

Back to our story:

      Quickly, our car-trivia game turns into “Question: When did Brody….(insert question) SLAP… Answer: When he was a baby(the answer, every time)….” By the time we pulled into the driveway my stomach hurt from laughing so hard and everyone had smiles from ear to ear. Those are the moments that connect me with my family, those are the moments you can’t plan for, but they are the ones I live for. That night as I checked on the kids before I went to bed, I sat on the edge of Brody’s bed and cried for a good five minutes. I see so much of myself in his love of fantasy and storytelling, I want to hold onto those elusive moments forever but I know I can’t and I just have to savor them as they come.

A lovely bunch of coconuts indeed,
Bryn